Here’s how to recognize a so-called “severe” migraine.
- There are several types of migraine: severe, chronic, episodic, etc.
- “Severe migraine is diagnosed according to French criteria in any patient having 8 days of monthly migraine or more as well as in any patient having a HIT-6 score of 60 or more and/or having clearly disabling attacks,” indicates La Voix des migraineux.
- The HIT-6 (Headache Impact Test) is a six-question test that measures the impact of migraine on daily life, giving a score between 36 and 78 depending on the answers.
“Severe migraine is a form of migraine in its own right.” In a press release, The Voice of Migraine Sufferers Association announces the launch of a new communication campaign on this condition and indicates how to recognize it.
There are several types of migraine: severe, chronic, episodic, etc. Taken together, they now affect more than 10 million French people and are currently considered the leading cause of chronic disability in people under 50.
Migraine is a real neurological disease linked to abnormal excitability of the neurons in the brain which will react excessively to a trivial stimulation. “This abnormal reaction will then trigger a cascade of events that will lead to a migraine attack,” explains The Voice of Migraineurs.
What is the definition of severe migraine?
“Severe migraine is diagnosed according to French criteria in any patient having 8 days of monthly migraine or more as well as in any patient having a HIT-6 score of 60 or more and/or having clearly disabling attacks”, indicate members of the non-profit organization.
“The HIT-6 (Headache Impact Test) is a six-question test that measures the impact of migraine on daily life, giving a score between 36 and 78 depending on the answers,” they explain. “The result allows the situation of patients to be classified into four levels of severity: “little or no impact on daily life” (HIT-6 score: 36-49), “moderate impact” (HIT-6 score: 50-55), “substantial impact” (HIT-6 score: 56-59), and “severe impact” (HIT-6 score: 60-78)”, they detail.
What are the impacts of severe migraines?
Migraine comorbidities (i.e., disorders that are more common in patients than in controls) include: anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, asthma, chronic pain other than headache, and cardiovascular disorders.
“Each of these comorbidities is associated with an increased risk of progression from episodic migraine to chronic migraine, and the risk is even higher in the case of multiple comorbidities,” noted SFEMC (French Society for the Study of Migraines and Headaches).
Among the modifiable risk factors for migraine progression, the presence of depression and medication overuse are the most significant.
